Movie Review: Warning Shot

David Spade goes rogue. Ok, so he doesn’t actually do anything crazy, but in terms of his career and what he’s known for, his dramatic villain role in Warning Shot is not something you’ve seen from him before on-screen. There is a lot more that’s intriguing about this film besides the fact you see Spade out of his usual element.

The story centers around a mother and her young daughter who are held hostage by some dangerous and unpredictable men. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to see.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT: 

Audrey (Tammy Blanchard) is a struggling single mother struggling to make ends meet. Audrey inherits a farmhouse from her father. Audrey and daughter Cheyenne (Onata Aprile) attempt to get a fresh start on life by moving into the home, but an unexpected crew of bad guys are there to take over the place and take them hostage.

Big portion of the film consists of some tense scenes where Audrey and Cheyenne are held hostage by the terrifying Rainy (Guillermo Diaz) and his accomplice Jawari (Dwight Henry). Audrey holds her own though and won’t back down. While some moments are a little redundant and drawn out, there is some legitimate tension established along the way.

HOW DID THE ACTORS DO: 

The headline will point to David Spade’s first dramatic movie performance, but it’s Diaz and Blanchard that take notice. Diaz plays a fantastic imposing madman, at times downright scary. Blanchard holds her own. Audrey possesses a fierce fighting spirit with supreme inner strength. Both combine to deliver strong and lively performances.

As far as Spade, his performance isn’t spectacular by any means. It’s just a different character that you’re not used to seeing him do. I’d like to see him in more dramatic, especially villain roles like this one. Even though he plays a bad guy, Spade still manages to input a decent amount of silly into his character.

HOW DOES THE MOVIE LOOK AND SOUND:

Nothing spectacular, but nothing alarming either. It’s simply shot in the country farm backwoods, which is ideally suitable to the story and characters. Majority of the film takes place inside the homes living room.

The sounds and soundtrack are fine. Nothing stands out, good or bad. I can’t imagine either being a main focal point of this movie.

WAS IT ENTERTAINING:

With so much time devoted to the interior scenes, there was a chance of the plot becoming dull quickly, but the solid actor performances keep you on the edge enough to remain engaged.

Warning Shot isn’t the most exciting movie, but it’s worth a watch. Committed actor performances along with a basic sensible plot keep this film on path.

IS IT WORTH SEEING:

You won’t regret it, especially as a rental.

David Spade fans will get a kick out of seeing him playing a sleazy and cowardly villain. The movie ends on a fairly predictable note, however, there is a reveal that puts the pieces together.

Bruce Dern and James Earl Jones make appearances in the film in cushiony roles. Meaning, low pressure and simple.

PROS:

• Solid acting
• Spade in a new role

CONS:

• Familiar recycled concept
• Antagonists feuding with each other didn’t didn’t serve the story much

GENRE: Drama, Thriller 

RATING: R

RUNTIME: 1 hr 30 min 

RELEASE DATE: Out Now

‘WARNING SHOT’ SCORE: 65%

SEE ‘WARNING SHOT’